2017-2018 NFL thread

[draynay]

I really don't agree and think it's call that has been made inconsistently in the NFL.

Well I think we can all agree that the lack of consistency is a problem that needs to be addressed.

[Fencers]

Butler is definitely gone however.

Butler not playing D was a damn shame.

This all was a disaster.

[Crissi]

Well I think we can all agree that the lack of consistency is a problem that needs to be addressed.

yeah, catch rule and consistency is annoying but that 2nd TD call was in no way controversial. It was correct, and if it had been called an incomplete in other games then it was incorrect in those other games.

[eschatological]

He caught the ball at the FIVE. THE FIVE YARD LINE. And then he took like 3-4 steps. And then he reached out for the end zone. If that's not "becoming a runner," you've got the irrational homer-tinted glasses on.

[Sykol]

Butler not playing D was a damn shame.

This all was a disaster.

It was a one-score game. You don't have to act like they lost 42-3 and never got to a Super Bowl before now.

[Deleted]

This game was an indictment against defensive-oriented gameplans. The only way to hang with Hall of Fame QBs like Brady is to outsling them.

Questionable. If Seattle gives the ball to Lynch and he beastmodes it, defense wins that title. Denver's defense beat Brady in their AFCCG dragging Mannings corpse into the SB. Even today, as MVP-ish as Foles may have been, Eagles established their lead as much by running as by slinging.

The trend towards offense determining post season games is there due to rule changes aiming at better player protection. But I don't think it's an absolute.

[draynay]

but that 2nd TD call was in no way controversial

Obviously, I was just being diplomatic, the back of the endzone TD was close, the Ertz TD wasn't. I don't want to watch the version of football where that wouldn't be a TD.

[Fencers]

It was a one-score game. You don't have to act like they lost 42-3 and never got to a Super Bowl before now.

There is only winning and losing. If you lose you failed. We failed spectacularly today.

Defense was just terrible. Jordan Richards? Yuck.

[Kyanion]

I really don't agree and think it's call that has been made inconsistently in the NFL.

Take the jerseys out of the equation. How many steps do you need to take after catching the ball to be declared a runner? 1? 2? That was a clear touchdown. The real disaster was taking 3-4 mins to review something so obvious. That is the biggest and most inconsistent issue with the replay. If it is not clear and obvious don't change the call.

[downnola]

Pretty much this.

But yea, he did in 2013. Don't get me wrong, he isn't a bad QB or anything, he's just not great. There's a reason he's not starting for one of the other 31 teams. Similar to what I said above though--all he needs to do is get hot for a few games. It's been done before (Eli, Flacco).

Edit: Oh my god. Maybe I'm even starting to believe he's for real now.

He did it, we can rest easy buddy.

[Kyanion]

Butler not playing D was a damn shame.

This all was a disaster.

A disaster was the end of the Saints/Vikings game. What happened in the Super Bowl was bad defense and poor special teams happening at the worst moment.

[Fencers]

https://twitter.com/MikeReiss/status/960364597105508352

Butler pretty pissed it seems.

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What happened in the Super Bowl was bad defense and poor special teams happening at the worst moment.

Terrible defense and special teams is pretty disastrous in my opinion.

[Northern Goblin]

Seeing the highlights (which will suffice for me as a defensive purist) that first TD should be a catch, but is the kind of bull to get ruled not a catch.

Second TD is clearly a catch, he had hauled it in, made two steps and lunged for the end zone, had he lost possession at that point you'd be screaming for a fumble over an incomplete pass.

Patriots had one questionable call go against them, also had the most blatant PI on Van Noy no called on the failed 2pt conversion, so it's all swings and roundabouts.

New England fans really can't complain about the officiating, tonight or any other.

[eschatological]

Questionable. If Seattle gives the ball to Lynch and he beastmodes it, defense wins that title. Denver's defense beat Brady in their AFCCG dragging Mannings corpse into the SB. Even today, as MVP-ish as Foles may have been, Eagles established their lead as much by running as by slinging.

The trend towards offense determining post season games is there due to rule changes aiming at better player protection. But I don't think it's an absolute.

I think it's mainly a reaction to my understanding of how the Bills would have called that game with their defensive-minded coach, and why we would have lost to the Patriots. We would have taken 3 at the end of the half already up on the Patriots, we would have punted from our own 40-something with 5:38 on 4th and 3, to go against the best QB to ever play the game, and "rely on the defense," and we have never gotten that clock management stuff down pat.

I genuinely think the Denver defense was a generational, once-in-a-lifetime defense, like the 2000 Ravens and the 86 Bears.

And when I said "slinging" I meant more the decision making rather than passing vs. running. Obviously you can win with a great RB like Lynch (who we let slip out of our fingers after drafting him, rip).

It's almost like I watched the Eagles with an eye to how the Bills would have fucked up what they did. Which is why Tom Brady has beaten us like 30 times in the past 17 years.

[Brubear]

Seasons over, but even from here I'd say that the safest prediction to make about next year is that neither the Patriots (who just lost the Super Bowl), nor the Falcons (who are playing host to the Super Bowl) will win next year.

No host team has ever won (which stings to say as a Vikings fan), and only two teams have ever won the Super Bowl after losing the prior year (the '71 Cowboys and the '72 Dolphins).

That's not to say they're absolutes, but as far as playing the odds they're some of the safest odds you can play right now.

[WskyDK]

Seasons over, but even from here I'd say that the safest prediction to make about next year is that neither the Patriots (who just lost the Super Bowl), nor the Falcons (who are playing host to the Super Bowl) will win next year.

No host team has ever won (which stings to say as a Vikings fan), and only two teams have ever won the Super Bowl after losing the prior year (the '71 Cowboys and the '72 Dolphins).

That's not to say they're absolutes, but as far as playing the odds they're some of the safest odds you can play right now.

Probably a pretty safe assumption. The pats have a shitload of work to do for next season

[Sykol]

There is only winning and losing. If you lose you failed. We failed spectacularly today.

Defense was just terrible. Jordan Richards? Yuck.

Honestly, it's just a game, and you aren't on the team. Don't worry about it so much. It's not that big of a deal, and the team you cheer for has won plenty in the past. Now another fanbase has something to be happy about.

[Crackleslap]

The Ertz TD was 100% TD. Dude was clearly a runner by the point. First one might be questionable. Who knows.

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Seasons over, but even from here I'd say that the safest prediction to make about next year is that neither the Patriots (who just lost the Super Bowl), nor the Falcons (who are playing host to the Super Bowl) will win next year.

No host team has ever won (which stings to say as a Vikings fan), and only two teams have ever won the Super Bowl after losing the prior year (the '71 Cowboys and the '72 Dolphins).

That's not to say they're absolutes, but as far as playing the odds they're some of the safest odds you can play right now.

Cmon y u gotta be like that. Our defense is on the up. We held the Eagles to 15. They blew the fuck outta of the Vikings with the best D, and Scored 41 on the Pats. Evidently not how the NFL works, but our defense was extremely good 2nd half the season / post season. We need to find some new ingenuity in offence and in the off season pick up some key rookies and Fa's think we got a good chance. Though we got a tight cap space, so not sure how all this gonna pan out. But hopefully the FO does its job.

[xskarma]

The pats have a shitload of work to do for next season

2 coordinators gone. Defense needs an overhaul. Belichick and Brady need to hash out their issues about how and when Brady is going to stop playing. Need to find Brady's replacement down the line and start coaching him up. Gronk might surprisingly decide to retire.

And as Belichick put it last year, playing in the Superbowl means you are multiple weeks behind the rest of the NFL in getting your off season underway. That's not going to help.

No days off.

[Pendulous]

Question: is this the first case of a backup quarterback winning a Super Bowl? I know the definition of "backup" is vague, but it's definitely something that you don't see happening.